


the midnight kiss

by thesorrowoflizards



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: (Last Chapter), (and luke and jace too but they're barely there), Banter, Communication, Cuddling, Daydreaming, Drunk Alec, Drunk Texting, Drunken Shenanigans, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Humor, Insecure Magnus, Kinda Cheesy And I Love It, Light Angst, Love, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Making Love, Mundane Magnus/Alec, Mutual Pining, New Year's Kiss, Porn with Feelings, Smut, Sweet, Talking About Feelings!!!, They both do really, angst is a little less light than previously planned, because i am, but still very fluffy, can you tell i'm desperately juggling a large ensemble cast?, drunk everyone really, drunk magnus, dumbasses in love, except dot and clary they be WASTED, it keeps growing though oops, it might have dragged out a bit, maia and raphael are the only sober ones here, mundane AU, romantic, slight miscommunication, this is silly and i love it, well more like tipsy really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-06-24 17:55:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15635790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesorrowoflizards/pseuds/thesorrowoflizards
Summary: They're all drunk. Magnus is at some party on the other side of the city, and Alec is here with his sister and his friends rambling on about how beautiful he is.Then said friends get ahold of his phone.(Or: Magnus and Alec realize they like each other. This ends with two highly intoxicated respective friend groups going on separate drunken quests across the city so that they can meet before midnight and kiss when the ball drops.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i just really don't know how to write drunk people i'm sorry  
> i only know two people who get frequently drunk and one just straight-up passes out while the other just gets mad a bit then sleeps neither of which fit this dumb and self indulgent mess so just pretend this is anywhere near realistic even tho half the time they practically read as mostly sober fuck i don't know

 

Alec was very drunk right now.

Well, very was generous. He was more than tipsy, but he was nowhere near wasted.

It was New Year’s Eve, and he was at a party. Normally, he didn’t like parties, but Isabelle had dragged him a long and with his other friends around he’d found himself reluctantly having fun.

In fact, there was only _one_ thing wrong with this picture.

“I miss _Magnus.”_ Alec said loudly, slumping down on the bar.

“Yes, we know,” Maia sighed from behind the bar. “You’re not going to start the poetry up again, are you?”

She didn’t look nearly as exasperated as she sounded. Truthfully, she found it rather cute—especially as she happened to know Magnus. They deserved each other, the saps.

“’S not poetry,” Alec mumbled. “I just… I _really like_ Magnus. Why isn’t Magnus here?”

“Catarina was throwing a party at that one club,” Isabelle reminded him, throwing an arm around his shoulders. “Are you gonna keep going on about him?”

“ _Yes.”_ said Alec firmly. “Magnus is… he _deserves_ people going on about him. You can’t contain a description of how amazing he is to just a few minutes. He’s _perfect.”_

“Here we go again,” Maia muttered from behind the bar. She was cleaning a glass, much like a bartender out of some movie, and she didn’t move away even though she had every chance to.

It was nice that someone was listening.

“I mean like… even just his _looks._ His eyes. His eyes are the warmest, softest brown. They’re so pretty. And so…” he struggled for words. “They’re _kind._ I like them.”

“Mmhm.”

“And he’s so… he’s so _compassionate._ Like, he’s literally the nicest person I’ve ever met. He can be all scary and intimidating when he wants but like. He’s actually very sweet. And I don’t think he’d hurt a fly.” He thought for a moment. “Well, unless they deserved it. Unless it was a…. serial killer fly. Or a fly that set things one on fire. I don’t know. Magnus can kick ass, too. He’s so badass.”

“Mmhm.”

“Really, though, he’s just. He’s so _good,_ Maia. So smart and funny and… and _strong,_ and brave, and… and… _wonderful.”_

His voice faded away into a dreamy sigh.

“Fucking hell, you’re whipped,” Isabelle said.

“Also, he’s just really, really fucking hot.” Alec added. “He’s my best friend and he’s drop-dead gorgeous.”

Isabelle shook her head, amused. “You know, Alec, why don’t you just tell him you _lurv_ him?”

She said love with a funny accent, enunciating it. Izzy was pretty good at holding her drink, but that was a dead giveaway she was drunker than she appeared.

“I don’t—I’m not doing that. I’m not –I’m totally _not_ love with him, I just.”                                                                                                                                             

“Mmmmm, you wanna _bang him.”_ Isabelle laughed.

“Alec wants to bang who?” Clary popped up. She was perhaps the drunkest of them all, stumbling towards them unevenly. Alec thought to make a joke about the alcohol affecting her so much because she was fucking tiny, but found himself unable to find humor in it. He was too caught up in Magnus.

Simon was only tipsy at the moment, and probably the most sober of the four. “Is it Magnus? Because that’s just common knowledge.”

Alec made a loud disgruntled noise, burying his head in his hands. “Am I that obvious?” he mumbled pathetically.

“Yes,” at least four different people said, one of whom was a passerby Alec recognized as one of Magnus’s many friends. Damn it.

“Just admit it!” Clary laughed loudly. “You wanna fuck him. It’s cool. Dude’s hot. I mean, he’s like my older brother and I’m kind of hella gay so _I_ don’t really find him hot, but like, even I can appreciate aesthetics. I can see why you’d want to tap that.”

“Oh my god, Clary,” Alec groaned. “Stop talking about my sex life.”

“But seriously, I don’t get it,” Clary persisted. “Why don’t you just _tell_ him? Magnus is cool. He’d probably like, totally wanna get dicked down by you. And he’s _definitely_ attracted to you. You guys should just, like, get it out of your systems.”

“She’s right,” Isabelle said, raising her drink. “Big brother, Magnus is totally into you. You just need to take the leap of faith.”

“If he’s into me, why doesn’t _he_ take the leap of faith?” Alec grumbled.

Isabelle shrugged. “I still think you should just kiss him.”

“I _can’t_ kiss him. Even if I had literally any chance with a guy as beautiful and perfect as him, I like. literally, physically can’t kiss him. He’s across the city at some party having fun. Without me.”

“Are you seriously pouting? You’re the one who didn’t accept his party invitation.”

“Because you made me promise to come here,” Alec said stubbornly.

“Because _you_ didn’t tell me you were already asked to go to Magnus’s party,” Isabelle said. “Look, you should just text him.”

“ _Noooo.”_

“It’s _so easy,”_ Isabelle said. “You wanna bang him, or date him, or whatever, just _text him.”_

“But I don’t want to ruin our friendship,” Alec said quietly, more serious than he had been all night.

Isabelle sighed dramatically, conceding the point but continuing her argument. “Alec, just _text him._ It’s the last day of the year. Come on, New Year’s resolution, text him!”

“I _can’t.”_ Alec whined. “I wanna be with him but I can’t ruin our friendship!”

“Look,” Isabelle said, snatching his phone before he could do anything. “It’s easy.”

She opened a new message, laughing when she saw Magnus’s contact name (“Magnus Babe” with several heart emojis) and typed.

 **To – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **Hey I don’t want to ruin our friendship but like I really wanna tap that ass

She made several typos which were either corrected by his phone or clumsily by her.

Finally, she showed it to him proudly. “See!” she said. “Easy! Just say something like this!”

“Izzy!” he squeaked.

“What?” she said. “I didn’t send it.”

“ _Yes you did.”_ he hissed.

She glanced down at it. Sent. “…..oops.”

“Oh my god. Oh my god. Izzy, you’ve just _ruined my life.”_

Before he could do anything, Clary snatched the phone. “Oh my gosh, he’s _typing.”_ she said.

“He’s _what??”_

“He replied!”

He stumbled off his stool, craning his neck to look over her shoulder. He tried to get his phone back, but for a drunk little redhead she was _fast_ and _sneaky._

She was currently hiding behind Simon.

“What’d he _say?”_ Alec said impatiently. “Fuck, is he disowning me forever? Does he never wanna see me again?”

“Um.” Clary said. She and Simon giggled.

She turned the screen around to show him. There were only two words in reply.

 **From – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **Ruin it

Alec stared blankly.

“…Alec?” Simon asked, poking his face.

“I think we broke him,” Clary giggled. “Are you broken because Magnus wants your dick?”

Alec was still processing that apparently Magnus _wanted him, too._ He didn’t get hung up on the details, he just let that thought— _Magnus,_ the most beautiful and amazing man he knew, was down to fuck. And/or date.

Alec screamed. (Clary and Simon both jumped, startled at the sudden explosion of loud noise and movement.)

Well, it was less of a scream and more of a drunken victory shout.

His first move after that _should have been_ to get the phone back, he was too absorbed in a temporary high of _Magnus also wanted to bang._

Which meant, unfortunately, that he didn’t have time to stop Clary from giggling, hiccupping, then sending the following text:

 **To – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **ruin ur ass or ruin friendship lol

“What did you just type?” Alec demanded, victory cut short.

She gave him a shit-eating grin.

“ _What did you type?”_

This time she didn’t avoid him when he snatched the phone back.

“Oh my god,” he said. “ _Oh my god.”_

She laughed. Simon, who had drank more since Alec had last seen him, followed suit.

“Clary _no!”_ Alec moaned, resisting the urge to sink to his knees and bury his head in his hands and curse at the sky.

Clary looked him dead in the eyes, face calming into a mischievous smirk instead of the huge grin.

“Clary yes,” she said simply.

“ _Fuck.”_ Alec cursed.

He looked down at the phone.

_Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3 is typing._

Fuck!

“You’re the worst,” Alec said helplessly. “You’re all the worst.”

His phone chimed. He looked down.

 **From – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **definitely my ass

“I change my mind, you’re all the best,” he declared, sitting up.

 **From – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3:** i mean you could never ruin our friendship

 **From – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **no matter what

Alec’s fingers moved practically of their own accord.

 **To – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **I’m sorry my sister sent that. And clary

 **From – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **oh. well. this is awkward.

 **From – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3:** but look i’m too drunk to NOT say that i’m 100 percent ok with u fucking me just saying

Alec stared down at his phone. _Fuckfuckfuck._ Magnus was—Magnus _wanted this._ Fuck. Yes.

 **To – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **Me too

 **From – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **you’re drunk or you’re okay with putting your dick in me

 **To – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **All of the above?

 **To – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3:** Maybe we could start with like. a kiss tho

 **From – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **are you asking me to meet you at midnight

 **To – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **Yes

 **From – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **where are you

 **To – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **Hunter’s moon

 **From – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **shit that’s across the city and we’re all drunk as fuck

 **To – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **Us too

 **From – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **ok

 **From – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **meet us at meliorn’s house

 **From – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **it’s about halfway I think and there’s a big party going down there

 **To – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3: **we’ll figure something out???

Alec grinned up at his friends. “Guys. Guys. We need to get to Meliorn’s.”

“What?” Isabelle asked. “Why?”

“So Magnus can finally get dicked down?” Clary giggled.

Simon swatted her arms. “ _No,_ so they can have their fairy tale kiss.”

“We’re gonna meet Magnus there,” Alec confirmed.

 **From – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3:** wait wait wait i need to

 **From – Magnus Babe <3 <3 <3:** hold on

_Magnus Bane <3 <3 <3 calling… _

Alec blinked and picked up.

“ _Alec!”_ Magnus’s voice came through, blaring. Alec winced and pulled the phone away, realizing it was on speaker. He switched it off and held it to his ear, backing away from the others even as they tried to creep closer and eavesdrop.

“Alec, we gotta… we gotta talk about this. Like. You can’t just spontaneously decide you wanna fuck me. You gotta give details.”

“Like, dirty details?” Alec ventured. He could do that. He could definitely do that. He might have to go to somewhere he wouldn’t be heard by the others, but he could _definitely_ do that.               

“No!” Magnus said. “I mean like…”

Despite his voice being a little slurred at the edges and loud (over the background din of an obvious party), he sounded serious. Loud music and shouting and laughter and voices echoed just under his voice.

“I mean… I know I said nothing would ever ruin our friendship but _really,_ Alec, I—if we’re gonna do this this better not be some big joke, okay?”

He sounded… oddly insecure.

Magnus was a confident man, and Alec rarely heard him sound so vulnerable.

“Magnus…”

“Or like, a one-time quick fuck thing. You mean too much to me.”

“Magnus—” Alec breathed.

There was a loud yell of Magnus’s name, and Magnus seemed to pull back from the phone and yell something mostly indistinct back.

Before Alec could even protest, he said quickly, “I gotta go, our ride is here. It won’t take us all the way to Meliorn’s but we’ll figure something out.”

“Magnus—”

“We’ll talk when we get there. Bye, Alexander!”

And then the line went dead.                                                       

 

Meanwhile, across the city, Magnus Bane was freaking the fuck out.

“Oh my god,” he said, slipping his phone into his pocket. “Cat. Cat, what now?”

“Obviously, we get to Meliorn’s stupid mansion and get your boy,” she said, grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the door.

“I still can’t believe he wants to fuck me.”

“Honey, no one else is surprised.”

Magnus was. Magnus was still reeling from the out-of-nowhere text he’d gotten from Alec talking about tapping his ass. Which, to be fair, Magnus knew was a nice ass.

Ragnor put a hand on his shoulders, looking him in the eyes. Even though he’d drank more than either of them, he looked entirely sober and serious.

Magnus knew better than to think he actually was sober, but he was excellent at hiding it and using that to his advantage. The bastard.

“We only have two hours until midnight,” he said. “We need to get you to Meliorn’s as soon as possible. But since we’re all utterly pissed off our asses, this is going to be the epic adventure of five drunk idiots attempting to get across the city in time to win you your true love’s kiss. I can’t _believe_ we’re living in a romcom, and I’m the quirky British friend.”

He was rambling, even if he managed to keep a straight face and a level voice the whole time. Maybe he was drunker than Magnus had previously thought. It was hard to tell with him.

“Technically,” he said, holding one finger up in a way he personally thought was suitably dramatic, “It’s not true love’s kiss. He said he wanted to fuck me, not date me. So.”

Ragnor rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. “Oh, _shut up,_ we all know you’re in love with him.”

Magnus shifted uncomfortably. “But _he_ doesn’t love me _,”_ he said.

Ragnor gave him a look, dark eyes flickering with an emotion that Magnus _really_ hoped wasn’t pity. But before he could speak, he was interrupted.

“At least he didn’t deny it this time,” Catarina sighed from behind him, throwing an arm over his broad shoulders and ignoring the fact Ragnor’s hands were still there.

Ragnor yelped and jerked back at the sudden touch. Magnus also startled slightly, having forgotten she was still behind him.

“Come on,” she said. “Our ride’s been waiting five minutes now. Dot and Raphael are already back at the car. We’ll talk some sense into you on the way over.”

“Where are we going? You said we weren’t going directly to Meliorn’s.” Magnus asked, following her out towards the car.

“Yeah, Luke is driving us but he he’s going to the station’s New Year’s party. He can’t miss it this year since he’s the captain now. He said he’s let us tag along but he can’t bring us further than that.”

“He won’t let us take his car,” Ragnor pouted. “Even though he won’t be using it.”

“That’s because we’re drunk,” Catarina pointed out, rather reasonably.

“Pssh.” Ragnor huffed, but he didn’t argue further.

They got in—Magnus slotting in the back, squished in the middle between Catarina and Raphael. Dot had smugly called shotgun, and Ragnor was left to sit in the back seat of the van alone.

Magnus almost elected to join him, but then Raphael revealed that he’d brought snacks (the “blood” gummies he was so fond of. They were much like gushers, but they were all a violent shade of red and varying flavors such as strawberry, raspberry, and cherry) and was willing to share. Ragnor was perfectly happy to have his own space, even if he did nick one of Magnus’s.

Luke engaged Dot in lively conversation—she was majorly tipsy, but he seemed to find it endearing, and they had a shared interest in dogs. Catarina also occasionally interjected her own opinions in.

(For example: “Chihuahuas are evil, sorry, I don’t make the rules.” To which Luke responded by almost hitting the breaks as he demanded “ _Excuse_ me?” and she continued, “Sorry, they’re the worst. Are they even dogs? They’re shaky little rats.” This devolved into a heated argument that ended with Dot screaming _“All dogs are good boys, Catarina!”_ at the top of her lungs and Raphael interjecting to say, “Fuck this, snakes are better anyway.” This started a whole new argument, this time with the whole car involved. They nearly crashed into three different signposts.)

When they finally arrived at the station, Dot was refusing to speak to Catarina (Magnus knew they would probably make up before they even got to Meliorn’s, they were very good friends) and Luke had managed to steer the conversation away from dogs

 and to a safer topic.

During all this, Magnus hadn’t spoken much. The others had been so distracted with the dogs, they’d forgotten about his little dilemma with Alec. He didn’t blame them, they were all pretty drunk, but he’d mostly just laid back and listened.

Honestly, it made him feel better, being surrounded by his friends and listening to their banter.

If all this ended badly, if he ended up sleeping with Alec (because even though he knew it was a bad idea, he knew if Alec asked he wouldn’t be able to resist) and ruining their friendship or even just. Continuing on, still good friends, except now Magnus knew exactly how it felt to have Alec touch him and hold him and kiss him (which would inevitably break his heart).

…He knew that even if this had a bad ending, or if he had to soldier on after letting himself be ruined, that they would be here for him. He’d always have his friends. He wasn’t alone anymore.

 

“Okay, where are we going from here?” Ragnor asked, stumbling down the front steps of the precinct.

“We’re calling an Uber,” Catarina announced. “Or a taxi. Or a Lyft. Whatever.”

“…why didn’t we do that from the beginning?” Dot wondered.

“Because we didn’t think of it,” Catarina said, shrugging.

“Also we didn’t have any money,” Raphael said dryly. “Luke was kind enough to lend us enough to get a ride. Magnus, you’re paying him back.”

“Why’s that?” Magnus asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Because this is your dumb quest,” Raphael said.

“Why don’t you drive again?” Ragnor asked, interjecting. “You’re perfectly sober, aren’t you?”

“Yes, because I don’t drink,” Raphael said, “But I also don’t have a driver’s license.”

“ _Why?”_

“Because I take public transportation instead of wasting money with cars.”

“Why don’t we take public transportation?” Dot wondered aloud, looking up at the cloudy sky, seemingly distracted. Apparently, she was in the “frequently spacing out and getting distracted by shiny things” stage of her intoxication. Or as Catarina had once lovingly dubbed her, “Dumbass Drunk Dot”. She’d been pleased with the alliteration.  

“Because we’re five drunken idiots—”

Raphael coughed.

“— _four_ drunken idiots,” Magnus amended, “and one _sober_ idiot, and herding ourselves into a subway would probably end badly for everyone.”

“Uber it is,” Ragnor agreed. He fumbled for his phone and immediately dropped it in a puddle. It was in a waterproof case and unlikely to be damaged, but Ragnor still stared down in dismay.

“I’ll arrange it,” Raphael said, rolling his eyes. “Since the rest of you will probably end up calling a guy on a motorcycle or something.”

“I know someone with a motorcycle,” Magnus said brightly. “He named his bike Richard so that he could nickname it ‘Dick’. Which meant he could tell people that he rode Dick to work or that he rode Dick around the city… He found it rather amusing.”

“That’s an amazing story,” Raphael said, voice deadpan and sarcastic, absolutely zero sincerity in his tone.

“Thank you,” Magnus said in an overly cheerful tone, just to annoy him.

“My _point_ was that we probably need a van or something.”

“A limo!” Dot declared.

“No,” Catarina said, holding up his finger. “We do _not_ have the money for that, and it would probably take too much time. We need to get Meliorn’s.”

“I already told you I was getting an Uber!” Raphael said, throwing his hands up.

“Well then _get on with it,”_ Ragnor said.         

“I already did it!” he said. “He’ll be here in less than twenty minutes. By pure, dumb luck, we happened to have someone available nearby.”

He looked down at his phone, brow furrowed in concentration as he typed something.

“Twenty minutes is nearby?” Ragnor asked, frowning.

“Yes, considering we need a vehicle that is willing to transport five drunk assholes across the city.” Catarina pointed out.

“Four,” Raphael said, not looking up from his phone.

Ragnor picked up his phone between two fingers. Water dripped from the case slowly, landing in the puddle with a steady _plip. plip. plip._ He frowned.

 

 

Meanwhile, across the city at Hunter’s Moon, Clary had somehow gotten behind the bar. She was currently hugging Maia’s waist, slumping against her dramatically.

“Maia, _please…”_

“Clary,” Maia sighed, but she sounded fond. “I love you, but I gotta do my job.”

 She didn’t attempt to push the other woman away, but she did continue moving and doing her job despite the redhead hanging off her.

“But what about Magnus?” she said. “And Alec? How are they going to get their fairy tale kiss if we don’t drive him to Meliorn’s house?!”

“I’m on duty,” Maia said, but she looked like she was thinking about it. “And it’s New Year’s. We’re busy.”

“But we’re all _drunk,”_ Clary said. “And we need a sober person to supervise us!”

“I’ll call you an Uber,” Maia offered.

“Mmm… don’t girlfriend duties involve driving me places when I’m tipsy?”

“You are _not_ tipsy,” Maia laughed. “You’re wasted.”

She reached down to support Clary properly, pulling her to her feet.

“Even more reason you should take us,” Clary whined, slumping further into her arms.

“Babe,” Maia said.

“Just take off,” said an amused voice to her left.

She turned, startled. Her boss, Alaric, was leaning against the bar behind her.

“We’ll be fine,” he said.

“It’s one of the busiest days of the year!” she protested.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “We’re a pretty modest bar. We’ll make do without you for a day. Anyway, think of it as a paid vacation day—you never take time off anyways.”

“Sir,” she said.

“And besides,” Alaric said, gently but firmly cutting her off, “I owe Magnus one anyway. You go with your girlfriend and get Lightwood his kiss.”

“You heard all that?” Alec asked, looking a little embarrassed. He’d been sitting at the bar, nursing a colorful cocktail Magnus had gotten him hooked on a few years ago, watching their conversation with vague amusement.

It hadn’t been long since the phone call with Magnus, but he was still impatient. They couldn’t drive, and there was no way they could walk. Public transportation was possible, but it was also possible they’d lose members of their party that way, especially considering how drunk Clary was. Plus, it was pretty late, and Alec hated public transport anyway.

“Easily,” Alaric said dryly. “Go on, Maia. It’s fine.”

Maia bit her lip slightly, grinning. “Thanks, Al,” she said.

Alaric waved them away. “Get going,” he said. “Wouldn’t want to miss midnight, would you?”

 

Maia’s car wasn’t small, but it wasn’t exactly roomy either. Clary had called shotgun (“It’s my girlfriend’s car!”) and Isabelle had ended up wedged between Alec and Simon. She took this opportunity to lean against her brother as much as possible, halfway in his lap like she used to when they were kids.

“Izzy,” Alec grumbled, making no attempt to push her off, “Is this necessary?”

“Yes,” she said into his shirt.

Alec rode in silence. The background chatter—which was mostly Simon’s excited babbling—faded away as he got lost in his thoughts.

It didn’t take a mind reader to know what he was thinking about.

Magnus.

There was, however, a great deal of subject matter to cover under that category.

How beautiful and amazing he was, the still mindblowing fact he might actually like Alec back, the worrying idea that perhaps Magnus didn’t have near the same magnitude of feelings as Alec did, how his lips might feel when Alec kissed him…

That last one ended up taking up most of his thoughts on the way there, because he didn’t want to think about Magnus just being drunk and horny and not, in fact, ~~in love with~~ crushing on Alec the way Alec ~~loved~~ was majorly crushing on him.

So instead, he thought about how soft Magnus’s lips looked. How warm they might be. How their first kiss might go… Would it be chaste and gentle, a sweet press of lips? Or desperate and clashing, full of tongue? Or slow and warm, an affectionate and drawn-out affair?

And what might Magnus taste like? Would he be wearing lip gloss so that his lips tasted like strawberries or mint?

And how would it go? Not just his lips, but—where would Alec put his hands? On Magnus’s hips, on his sides, on his face? Would he wrap his arms around Magnus and pull him close? Would he grab his lapels and pull him into a kiss?

Or would Magnus go for it first, pull Alec into a kiss? Would he be just as eager as Alec? Come to think of it, where would Magnus put _his_ hands?

Alec was shaken from his thoughts (and the almost dreamy smile was shaken from his lips) by Isabelle prodding him.

“We’re almost there, Alec,” she said. “What are you grinning goofily at, anyway?”

“Nothing,” Alec said quickly.

“So, Magnus,” Simon translated from the other side of the backseat.

“Don’t you call Magnus nothing again,” Alec said without thinking.

Simon laughed. Maia snorted from the front seat.

“So you _were_ thinking about Magnus,” Isabelle said triumphantly.

“Shut up,” Alec said.

 

 

Magnus and co. had piled into the Uber (which was a red van with “WAYLAND LANDSCAPING” painted in sloppy letters on the side) and were now on their way to Meliorn’s. Finally.

The Uber driver, who was a funny looking blonde guy, seemed unimpressed with their diverse group of drunken idiots, but said nothing as they climbed in.

The seats were pulled up and there were two rows of them behind the driver. Ragnor and Raphael claimed the back seat. Magnus sat in the middle seats by the window, Catarina sliding in next to him and then Dot.

“You’re going to this address?” he double-checked, showing them the screen of his phone.

“Yep,” Ragnor said, popping the ‘p’.

The driver said nothing more, turning back to the front and beginning to pull out of the parking space on the side of the road.

 “Okay, so Magnus,” Catarina said. “We were _going_ to talk about the whole ‘you’re definitely in love with Alec and we’re about eighty percent sure these feelings are requited’ thing on the way to the precinct, but we got…” She searched for words.

“Distracted,” Ragnor said helpfully.

“Yes,” Catarina said. “Distracted by Dorathea’s apparently inclination for those little demo—Chihuahuas.”

“Don’t put this on me,” Dot said. “We’re _all_ drunk.”

“Not me,” Raphael reminded them for probably the hundredth time that day.

“Anyway!” Catarina declared. “We’re talking about this now.”

“Do we have to?” Magnus asked, slumping.

“Yes,” said all of them (except for the driver) in varying tones of exasperation.

“Look, honey, you’re clearly in love with him,” Catarina said, putting a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

“Eighty percent sure he likes me back isn’t that good of a chance,” Magnus said glumly.

“It’s not… _bad,”_ Ragnor ventured. “Not as good as a hundred percent, but not bad.”

“He probably _doesn’t_ feel the same way I do,” Magnus said. “We’ve been friends for years, why wouldn’t he have said anything?”

“You haven’t said anything,” Catarina pointed out.

“Shut up.”

“You asked!”

“Magnus, he literally _said_ he wants to fuck you,” Dot said. “And he was the one who suggested this whole—very romantic, I might add—kiss at midnight thing, and _before_ anything happens. If he wants to kiss you before you even get to the sex part, it’s probably not just a sex thing.”

“Maybe he wants it to be less awkward.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Raphael sighed loudly. “Magnus Bane is _always_ ridiculous,” he stated. “And it’s obviously Lightwood likes you back.”

“And even if he doesn’t,” Ragnor said helpfully, “I’ve heard Meliorn makes _delicious_ margaritas.”

Magnus looked down at his hands. That didn’t make him feel much better.

Cat twisted around to glare at Ragnor.

Ragnor sighed. “And also, you know, your Alec may not be my favorite person, but he obviously cares about you. On the off chance he _isn’t_ in love with you, he is hardly going to leave, or be cruel.”

“I wasn’t worried about Alec being cruel,” Magnus mumbled. “He’s not cruel. He’s not… he’s not Camille. It’s just…”

He trailed off.

“Look, I don’t mean to interrupt a clearly private conversation,” the driver said.

“You just did,” Raphael said dryly, but the driver continued.

“But you’re talking about Alec Lightwood, right?”

“You know him?” Magnus asked, looking up.

“Yeah, he was my roommate in college,” the driver said. “He’s cool. Didn’t bring girls back to the dorm room or get roaring drunk and keep me up or anything.”

“Didn’t Alec used to complain his roommate did those exact things?” Dot asked.

“Yes,” Magnus said.

“Guilty,” the driver admitted.

“What was it, Chase? Chance?”

“ _Jace_. Anyway, I learned why he didn’t bring girls home one night when he came back from some party with his friends completely trashed. That being because he was extremely gay for one of his friends. Never did learn which one, but it seems likely it was you if he actually talked about it. Dude never talked about anything. Silent as a grave.”

Magnus thought this wasn’t true, but then, this hardly seemed to be a close friend of Alec’s, and he was more open around people he cared deeply about.

“Doesn’t mean it was me,” he muttered.

“And who else?” Catarina said, exasperated. “Simon? Simon’s great and all, but he’s not exactly Alec’s type.”

“And Blondie here has a point,” Dot said. “Alec doesn’t really talk about what he wants that often.”

“Technically his sister drunk texted me and he just didn’t deny it.”

“Alec was the king of denial back in college,” Jace said, turning back to wiggle his eyebrows.

“Keep your eyes on the road!” Ragnor yelped.

“No, but seriously,” he said, luckily now back to looking at the road. “Dude was so closeted it wasn’t even funny.”

“Not funny anyway,” Magnus muttered.

“Plot twist,” Raphael said, “He had a crush on Ragnor.”

Ragnor gave an overdramatic gasp. Magnus stared at Raphael. Dot immediately burst into giggles.

“I don’t think Alec even met Ragnor until that party last year.” Catarina said.

“Actually, technically I met him before Magnus did,” Ragnor said.

“What?” Magnus asked, turning to look at him incredulously.

“Magnus, I _told_ you this. We took Biology together. It was his freshman year, I was retaking the class after I set the last on fire…”

“You _what?”_ Jace asked, but he was ignored.

“Ha, I remember that,” Magnus said. “Good times. But seriously, you knew Alec that long ago?”

“It was only like a year before you met him!”

“What if it _was_ Ragnor?” Magnus asked, dismayed.

“Magnus, honey, you’re drunk. It’s not Ragnor.”

“I’m just tipsy,” Magnus said crossly. “And it’s not impossible, apparently!”

“We weren’t friends or anything!” Ragnor protested. “Just worked on like, _one_ project together in Biology. He barely said more than three words to me!”

“ _Biology_ project,” Jace said, quite unhelpfully, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Pay attention to the road,” Catarina snapped. She glared at Raphael. “See what you’ve done?”

“I’m enjoying this,” Raphael said unapologetically. “Plus, we all know how this is going to end.”

“How’s that?” Magnus asked, crossing his arms.

Raphael rolled his eyes. “Look, I’m going to say this exactly once, and you’ll never hear it again. And I’ll always deny I ever said anything of the sort.”

“Promising,” Ragnor said.

“Magnus, you’re a great person. You’re sweet, funny, you could kick the guy’s ass, and apparently you’re plenty attractive. Plus, Lightwood is clearly in love with you, you just both need to get your heads out of your asses. _Obviously_ you’re going to kiss, probably in some sickeningly romantic way, and then one of you will stutter out some nonsensical attempt at asking the other out, etc. etc. Either way, this clearly ends in you two becoming the most annoyingly adorable couple on campus.”

Ragnor looked a little stunned. Catarina looked pleased. Dot seemed to be asleep, face pressed against the window.

Magnus blinked back what was definitely not tears, because _no_ he was not being emotional he was just _surprised,_ that’s all.

Raphael flushed slightly and looked away. “Shut up,” he grumbled. “You’re still the most annoying person I know.”

“Awwww, Raph-y, that’s so sweet!” Ragnor exclaimed, ignoring Raphael’s incredulous hiss of _Raph-y?_. “I didn’t know you cared!”

“I’d hug you if I could safely reach,” Magnus said seriously.

“Shut up,” Raphael hissed again. “I said _nothing.”_

He glared out the window, avoiding them. In the front, Jace awkwardly hummed an off-key tune, desperately trying to distract himself from their conversation (and the subsequent emotional moment).

“…Do you really think Alec likes me back?” Magnus asked quietly.

“What are you, fourteen?” Raphael said, but there was no heat. His face softened a little. “Yes. _Idiota.”_

That… actually meant a lot.

“And if he doesn’t, we’ll kill him!” Ragnor declared, completely ruining the mood.

“Ragnor, no!” Catarina and Magnus said at the same time.

“Ragnor yes.”                        

“If you’re all done,” Jace said, finally interrupting. “We’re gonna be there in like, two minutes.” He glanced back in the mirror. “Might want to wake your friend up there.”

Catarina jabbed her shoulder with two fingers, not extremely rough but not gentle, either.

Dot jerked up. “I’m awake,” she said. “So awake. Wow, look how… _conscious_ I am.”

She sounded out the word _conscious_ very slowly, like she wasn’t sure how to say it. She apparently didn’t at the moment, as she said it like “con-see-us”.

“We’re almost there,” Catarina informed her. “And we have…” she checked her phone. “Wow! We have about seven minutes or so until midnight. So.”

“Yeah, that’s why traffic is shit,” Jace grumbled from the front. “Even out here. Stupid New Year. Who cares, anyway? Whoopee, another year. Yay.”

“That’s bleak,” Ragnor said.

Jace waved him away dismissively.

In a minute, they’d pulled out in front of Meliorn’s huge-ass mansion.

Jace whistled. “Damn. Well, we’re here.”

They’d already paid through the app, and none of them were keen to linger—especially with seven minutes on the clock. So they got out pretty quickly.

Jace peeled off as soon as the door was closed, wanting nothing more to do with them.

Raphael’s phone chimed. It asked for a rating. He frowned at the screen. Magnus grabbed it and pressed five stars before he could react.

_“Why?”_

Magnus shrugged. “I always give Uber drivers 5 stars unless they like, directly punch me in the face. Then it’s 4 stars.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Raphael said, snatching his phone back. “He was two stars at _best.”_

“Come _on,”_ Catarina said. “We only have a few minutes.”

 

 

The mansion was awash with lights, people milling about everywhere inside and out.

Alec and his friends had been here for awhile now—no signs of Magnus.

Clary and Simon had already wandered off, and Maia had followed to keep them out of trouble. Isabelle had been drawn away by their host—Alec was pretty sure they were dating on and off.

So he was left alone, searching the sea of bodies and flashing lights for Magnus.

It felt like he was looking for hours—he thought he caught a glimpse of Catarina, once, but the woman had vanished before he’d had a chance to confirm it was her.

He’d gone to text Magnus only to find that he’d left his phone in Maia’s car.

So he was left alone, pushing through the crowd and looking on. Heart pounding as he drew closer to the moment where his lips would meet Magnus’s.

Minutes past. Midnight crept up.

A cheer went up in the crowd, startling him.

“Ten seconds to midnight!” someone screamed. “Countdown, everybody!”

The countdown began.

_Ten!_

Goddamn it, where was Magnus?

_Nine!_

Was he here at all? Had he been caught up in traffic? Did he change his mind?

_Eight!_

Wait. Was that—Alec caught a glimpse of someone who looked an awful lot like Magnus. He pushed people aside, trying to fight his way there.

_Seven!_

It _was_ him! He was there, similarly surveying the crowd, looking rather worried. He hadn’t seen Alec yet. Alec fought the crowd, trying to get to him.

_Six!_

Alec made his way towards him. He narrowly avoided someone spilling their drink on him.

_Five!_

Almost there.

_Four!_

“Magnus!” he called out. Magnus didn’t seem to hear him.

_Three!_

He was right there, he grabbed Magnus’s shoulder—

_Two!_

 

 

Magnus was breathless, looking everywhere for some glimpse of that tall figure, but it seemed hopeless.

Where was he?

The countdown had begun. He was running out of time.

Just when he had lost hope completely, just as time was running out, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He was whirled around and there was Alec.

“Alexander?” he breathed. He didn’t have time to say anything else.

_One!_

Suddenly there were lips on his, Alec’s arms sliding around him and pulling him closer.

Cheers erupted around them, confetti raining as what seemed to be several confetti cannons were set off. The whole building screaming and cheering around them, other people kissing their significant others, confetti glittering midair in the neon lights, drifting downwards over the heads of the crowd.

_Happy New Years!_

But Magnus barely registered any of this.

All he felt was Alec’s arms around him, Alec kissing him.

 

Okay, this?

This was about one _thousand trillion_ times better than Alec imagined.

An Imaginary first kiss with Magnus was _nothing_ compared to the real thing.

For one, it was _real._ Magnus’s lips were soft and warm moving against his, and he could not possibly have imagined what that was like. It wasn’t his first kiss, but it was certainly the best one he’d ever had.

Second, having Magnus in his arms—hands fluttering uncertainly at Alec’s sides, warm body pressed close, then melting against him as he finally relaxed… it was so much better. So much better than the ghosts and ideas of what it might feel like.

Thirdly, the _emotion._ God, he’d never understood what people meant in books when they said they could _feel_ how much someone loved them with a simple press of lips.

But the way Magnus was kissing him back, the way he was relaxed and touching Alec, the simple _emotion_ in every movement… there was no doubt left in Alec’s mind that Magnus was on the same page as him.

When they finally broke apart, it was a natural end to the kiss, foreheads resting against each other, Magnus’s soft brown eyes looking into his.

 

 

Magnus felt breathless and stunned.

Alec’s arms were still around him, one of his large palms pressed warmly between his shoulder blades.

His eyes were sparkling and he was staring at Magnus like he’d hung the moon.

Magnus had no doubt he was wearing a similar expression.

“So,” Alec said. His voice sounded as breathless as Magnus felt. “Do you, uh. Want to get coffee sometime?”

He was close enough that Magnus could hear him, even though the party was still raging around them.

Magnus couldn’t help it. He laughed.

Not cruel or mocking ( _gods,_ never) but happy (and possibly just a tad hysterical). “I-I don’t think there are any coffee shops open right now,” he said.

“I said _sometime,”_ Alec said, pulling a face, but he seemed to concede the point with a nod of his head.

“We could… go back to my place?” Magnus offered after a moment.

Alec raised his eyebrows. “To get to ‘the ruining’?” he asked.

Magnus felt his cheeks heat up a bit—damn it, alcohol—but he kept his expression mostly unaffected. “If you like,” he said playfully. “But we could just… put on a movie, maybe make some snacks. Cuddle a bit.”

The last part came out almost a mumble, quieter than the rest of the sentence, but Alec caught it. He grinned.

“I’d love to,” he said. “You don’t want to stick around for the party?”

Magnus normally adored parties, especially New Year’s—but he’d much rather explore the new depth of his relationship with Alec… in private.

“No,” he said. “I’d rather be with you.”

It was Alec’s turn to blush slightly. Before he could reply, they were interrupted.

“So you lovebirds worked it out after all?”

Ragnor was yelling over the noise, slightly louder than necessary.

Magnus grinned, to happy to even be annoyed. “Yes!”

“I told you so,” said Raphael, slipping out of the crowd. Despite not yelling, Magnus could hear him perfectly. Yet another quirk of Raphael achieving peak goth.

“We’re leaving,” Magnus told them, raising his voice so they could hear him.

“Are you leaving to— _you know?”_ Ragnor wiggled his eyebrows.

“I’m not deigning that was a response,” Magnus said, rolling his eyes. He grabbed Alec’s hand and pulled him away and towards the door.

“That was a response!” Ragnor called after him. He didn’t make pursuit.

“They seem happy,” Raphael said. There was something suspiciously like _fondness_ in his voice.

Ragnor almost teased him, but on second glance, said nothing.

They were both happy for Magnus.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops! abrupt chapter ending
> 
> i always characterize ragnor as the one who like, is both the most childish of the group (as in the most petty, pouty, and dramatic) but also the most mature/oldest when it counts (gives the best sage advice, is generally a grumpy old man sometimes, very wise, etc.) like  
> the man hid in a PAINTING when his friend came over because he didn't want to interact lmao but he also supported magnus when he really, really needed it and gave him good advice 
> 
> also sorry i barely remember what alaric was actually like i just needed someone to be maia's boss oops
> 
> that whole chihuahua argument was based on an actual argument i had with my brother which went something like this:  
>  **me, talking about a dog we just saw on the street:** oh, look at the dog! he's a good boy. yes he is. he's such a good boy.  
>  **my brother:** (making sounds of agreement)  
>  **me:** (sighs happily) all dogs are good boys  
>  **my brother, casually:** yeah except chihuahuas lol  
>  **me, about to slit his throat:** .....................what?  
>  **my brother:** yeah lol chihuahuas suck. they're shaky little rats  
>  **me:** they're good boys, daniel  
>  **my brother:** no they're not they suck  
>  **me, at the top of my lungs:** ALL DOGS ARE GOOD BOYS, DANIEL  
>  keep in mind the whole time we were walking down a relatively crowded sidewalk. i swear i saw someone nod in agreement
> 
>  
> 
> side note: i've literally never taken an uber and have only once taken a taxi so i just made shit up. i don't think there's an option for "i need a van that will hold 5 people plus the driver" but shut up there should be anyway


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me? posting chapter 2 almost right away? more likely than you think  
> (chapter 3 is only like half done though so that one might be a while sorry)

 

It was only once they got outside they realized they actually had nowhere to go.

They’d both gotten a ride there, and while by now both of them were a little more sober, they still didn’t have a vehicle.

They were in the outskirts of the party, the music mostly distant and thumping, and the people mostly seemed to be lingering near the house.

They, for the most part, had privacy. And also no car.

“Well, fuck.” Alec said.

“We could… call a taxi?” Magnus said, wincing.

“We could ask someone for a ride,” Alec countered, but the idea of going back into the party wasn’t great.

“We could walk home?”

Alec considered this. “Your place actually isn’t far from here, is it?” he said.

“My place it is,” Magnus beamed. He looked around. “That would be… what direction would that be in?”

“Useless,” Alec laughed. “I think that way.” He pointed with the hand that was not still firmly clasped in Magnus’s.

“Cool,” Magnus said. He stepped forward, then seemed to realize he was still holding Alec’s hand. “Oh. Um. Sorry,” he said, beginning to let go.

Alec squeezed his hand, holding on despite Magnus’s looser grip. “I’m good,” he said.

Magnus looked up at him, blushing a little.

Who would have thought, Magnus Bane, blushing at someone holding his hand?

Magnus squeezed back, smiling softly at him. Alec’s hand was warm in his, a little rough and calloused as well.

This was nice.

“Shall we?” Alec asked, grinning at him and motioning in the direction they needed to go.

“We shall,” Magnus said. “But first…”

He stepped forward, feeling rather brave with Alec’s hand in his, and kissed him softly.

Alec’s eyes closed automatically and he kissed back. His free hand came up to cup Magnus’s face, tipping his head back slightly to deepen the kiss.

It went on longer than they meant it to—both of them just allowing themselves to enjoy it. Standing there under the clear cold sky, holding hands as they smiled into the kiss.

They were interrupted (again!) by loud whistles and cheering.

They broke apart, startled, never letting go of each other’s hand.

A small crowd of eight was walking (well, seven of them were walking—Clary had apparently gotten ahold of some more liquor back at the party, because she was _gone_ and Maia was just straight-up carrying her at this point—on the bright side, Dot seemed to be recovering) towards them, looking very pleased.

“Well, well, well,” Raphael drawled. “Look at the happy couple.”

“We told you so, Magnus,” Ragnor said cheerfully.

“We _also_ told you, Alec,” Isabelle chimed in. She was leaning against her boyfriend, Meliorn, who looked rather amused.

Isabelle had already filled him on what was going on and he found the entire situation very amusing indeed. He wasn’t particularly close with Isabelle’s friends and family, but he’d known Magnus for quite a long time and he’d certainly heard a lot about Alec through his girlfriend.

Magnus and Alec were still partially entwined and grinning like loons. Magnus huffed a quiet laugh, ducking his head so that it rested on Alec’s shoulder.

“I guess we do have you all to thank for… this,” Alec said, vaguely motioning to Magnus, who was giggling helplessly against his shirt.

“Mostly to me,” Isabelle announced. “I sent the first text.”

“On accident,” Alec reminded her.

“Still did it,” Isabelle said cheerfully. “I accept thanks in the form of makeup, fruit baskets, and undying devotion.”

“And me,” Clary mumbled. “I helped.”

“Drunk matchmakers,” Ragnor nodded seriously. “Impressive.”

“You’re still conscious?” Maia asked incredulously, ignoring him.

“Mm…” Clary said. “A lil’ bit… Love you, Maia…”

Her words slurred together.

Maia sighed fondly. “We should probably get her home.”

“And we should also get home,” Alec said quickly. “Watch some movies.”

“Sweet!” Simon exclaimed. “We could come with and have a big movie ni—!”

Raphael elbowed him sharply.

“ _Ow!_ What was that for— _ohh._ Uh, no, you guys probably don’t wanna watch Star Wars again anyway, haha…”

“Let them enjoy their new domestic bliss, Simon,” Isabelle hissed.

“Yeah, they can’t bone if we’re all there,” Dot added. “Let them bone, Simon.”

 Simon giggled at that. Raphael pulled a face. Ragnor snorted. Catarina looked rather done.

Magnus was laughing again. He felt like he was waltzing on cloud nine—everything was perfect.

He was surrounded by friends who cared about him and they were making dumb jokes and he was standing in the arms of Alec Lightwood, probable-love of his life, who had just kissed him and asked him on a date, and—god, he felt like he was dreaming.

“Speaking of getting home,” Alec said, louder than necessary, valiantly ignoring the comment on his new sex life with Magnus _(sex with Magnus, now there’s an interesting thought—_ save it for later, damn it) to talk over them. “How are we going to do that? Now that all of us are here?”

“I’d offer you a ride, but my car doesn’t hold more than two people. Three if you want to ride in the trunk.” Meliorn shrugged.

“All of them?” Simon asked.

“All of them,” Meliorn agreed. “All two. I’m wealthy, not a hoarder.”

“How were you _going_ to get home?” Ragnor asked. “Isn’t your house quite a ways away, Lightwood?”

“We were going to walk to my place,” Magnus said.

“Ah,” Ragnor said knowingly.

“So how are we all going to get home?” Catarina asked, steering them back on subject before they could get sidetracked.

“Well, I can probably squish four other people in my car again,” Maia said. “I can drop people off.”

“I can just stay here with Meliorn,” Isabelle shrugged. “If he doesn’t mind, that is. No biggie.”

Meliorn smiled. “Of course I don’t mind,” he said. “Why would I refuse if my lovely girlfriend wants to stay the night?”

Isabelle kissed his cheek.

“I’m taking public transport,” Raphael said. “I’m not going through another road trip with you people. Party’s over, they kissed.”

“I’m going with Raphael,” Ragnor said.

“Oh, _no you’re not.”_

“You don’t own all the buses and trains in New York,” Ragnor said. “You can’t stop me from following you.”

“You are _the worst.”_

“Thank you.”

Raphael huffed.

“Also, I’m staying the night at your place.”

Raphael sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers. “You’re taking the couch.”

Ragnor beamed at him.

Catarina sighed. “So that leaves you two, me, and Dot.”

“I still have room left for two in my car,” Maia said. “And weren’t they walking home? For, uh… privacy?”

“We can do that,” Alec said. “I mean—Magnus, you good with that?”

“We were already going to,” Magnus shrugged. “It means I get to be alone with you faster anyway.”

“Sweet! So we’re all taken care of,” Dot said.

“But we’re talking about this later,” Catarina said, pointing at Magnus. “When it’s not the middle of the night, we’re talking about this.”

“Okay,” Magnus said, laughing. “Goodnight, Cat.”

“Goodnight, my favorite dumbass,” she said.

He didn’t even have the energy to pretend to be offended. He was too happy.

 

They all parted ways—not after a bit of lingering and teasing (Isabelle may or may not have hugged Magnus as well), but they parted ways.

And finally, Magnus and Alec were left alone again.

It was late, but the streets were still relatively crowded and the city was alive with lights.

They were still holding hands.

For a while they walked in comfortable silence. Alec walked noticeably closer to him, shoulders brushing and hands clasped together.

“So, um…” Magnus cringed at how uncertain he sounded, already regretting that he’d broken the silence between them. But it was too late to turn back now—Alec was already at full attention, eyes soft and trained on him. “Are we…”

He fumbled for words.  

Alec waited patiently, still looking at him.

“…boyfriends?” Magnus finally asked, wincing and feeling a little juvenile.

Alec smiled slowly. “Do you want to be?”

“Do you?”

“Please answer the question,” Alec said softly, squeezing his hand.

“I—I do,” Magnus admitted. His voice was quiet. “I… want that.”

“Me too,” Alec said, grinning at him. “This is real for me, Magnus.”

“Me too,” Magnus echoed. “Very real.”

“Good,” Alec said.

There was a sort of pause.

“…How long have you… uh.” Alec cleared his throat. “Liked me?”

“I could ask the same of you,” Magnus said playfully.

“I don’t know,” Alec said honestly. “A while. You’re very easy to l-like.” He tripped over his words—luckily Magnus didn’t seem to notice that he’d almost said _love._ He was sure Magnus had strong feelings for him, but he wasn’t about to put his foot in his mouth and say the L word already. “What about you?”

Magnus ducked his head, unable to help the slight blush. “…Probably since we met?” he said quietly.

Alec nearly tripped over his own feet. “…That long?” he asked, voice hushed.

Magnus avoided his eyes. “Yes?”

Had Magnus really felt like this for that long?  

God, how much had he hidden in an effort to protect Alec from his feelings? Alec knew him, and he was exactly the kind of person who would bottle up his own feelings so they wouldn’t be a burden on someone else.

Usually Magnus wore his heart on his sleeve. If Magnus had never shown any signs of having a crush on Alec then that was likely on purpose.

Or had he? Had Alec been blind all this time? Had every soft smile been like this—all warm and affectionate? Had he always given Alec those heart eyes like he had back at the party? Had he always flushed when Alec touched him?

(The way Alec had. The way he’d always been so conscious of how warm Magnus was, of how good he looked in leather, of how every expression, no matter how minute, looked as it crossed his face…)

God, they were both idiots.

“…look at us,” Alec said, chuckling slightly. “We’ve been pining after each other for… years. We could have been doing _this,”_ he squeezed Magnus’s hand again, thumb rubbing gently over the back of Magnus’s fingers. “the whole time.”

“Guess we’re both fools,” Magnus said, a smile playing on his lips, looking up at Alec.

Yes, there it was—that warmth, the affection and _love._ They were fools.

Only a minute later, they came to a stop in front of Magnus’s apartment building—thankfully, they were alone. It seemed mostly empty inside, everyone presumably either in bed or out partying. They ran into no one on their way up to Magnus’s loft.

“When did you realize?” Alec asked after a moment.

“…Realize what?”

“That you _liked_ me. I mean, was there ever a… moment?”

Magnus laughed softly. “There wasn’t really… I’d liked you from the beginning. You couldn’t have missed me flirting with you, right?”

“No—I… I thought you… you toned down when we got to know each other, I thought it was just something you… did.”

“You weren’t wrong,” Magnus said. “I flirt. When we met, you were just… a really, really gorgeous guy. But then I got to know you. And quickly developed a full-blown crush.”

He bumped Alec’s shoulder, grinning bashfully. “You were easy to crush on. You’re a sweet guy, you know? But I kind of… lead myself on, at first. Reading into stupid little things. Convincing myself you liked me.”

He didn’t sound bitter or angry—a little self-deprecating, but no ire aimed at Alec. Alec was concerned, but held his tongue, not wanting to interrupt.

“But—the night I tried to ask you out ended up being a disaster. I finally worked up the courage, I was going to do it, and—well, remember Raj?”

“My first college boyfriend? The douchebag?”

Magnus grimaced. “That was the night I first met him. I’d brought flowers and everything, I was about to, and then—well, I saw you two together. You introduced me, I shoved them off on Catarina and made something up about medical student appreciation and fled.”

Alec groaned, stopping, nearly causing Magnus to collide with him. His free hand slapped his forehead.

“What?” Magnus asked.

“I remember that. Fuck, we _really are idiots,”_ Alec said. “Magnus, I only asked him out because I was trying to get over you.”

“You’re… you’re kidding.”

“No,” Alec said. “Fuck. That’s… that sucks.”

His word choice was a little lame, but he couldn’t even get his head together. God, how had they come so close? How had they just barely missed each other?

Magnus couldn’t help it. He laughed. “G-god, of course. Of course you did,” he said.

Once again, there was no anger or bitterness. Self-deprecation, humor, but nothing else.

Alec couldn’t help but laugh with him. It was ridiculous, wasn’t it?

When he caught his breath and their laughter died away, he smiled at Magnus.

“So… that was your moment?”

Magnus turned his body fully towards Alec, facing him. “There wasn’t really a single _moment,_ ” he said. “But that was… significant. I’d never been so wrecked over a crush before. I began to wonder if it was something deeper.”

Alec brought his hand up to Magnus’s face, thumb brushing his cheekbone as he cupped his jaw. Magnus leaned slightly into the touch, eyes falling closed.

“For me, it was… we were at your birthday party,” Alec began quietly. “The one where Catarina put all those candles on your birthday cake?”

“Nearly burned down my kitchen,” Magnus remembered.

“I just… I just remember you were surrounded by friends and family. You looked so… happy. You were giggling, there was some icing smeared on your cheek…” Magnus’s breath caught. “And in the candlelight, with that _smile…_ I don’t know. You just looked so beautiful.”

Magnus didn’t quite know what to say to that.

Luckily that was the moment they arrived at the door. Magnus stepped forward and unlocked the door, letting Alec in and closing it behind them.

Alec let out a deep breath, slipping his jacket off and tossing it over the back of the couch.

“Still up for movie night?” he asked.

“It’s getting late,” Magnus said, playing with his ear cuff a little. He made his way towards the bedroom, kicking off his shoes.

“There’ll be cuddling,” Alec said enticingly, trailing after him.

“Mmmm… you know the way to my heart, Alexander,” Magnus said, slipping off his jacket. He liked being touched, liked physical affection and hugs. Cuddling was exactly the way to convince him—and besides, worst case he would fall asleep on the couch and in Alec’s arms. Not bad at all. “Alright. What do you want to watch?”

“Wanna marathon something?” Alec asked, eyes sparkling. “Maybe a classic…”

“Not Lord of the Rings,” Magnus groaned. “I know you love it, and _I_ love it, but it’s _too long._ I need to be prepared.”

“That’s fair,” Alec admitted. “Maybe Star Trek? We don’t have to watch all of them.”

“Next Gen or Classic?”

Alec shrugged. “I’m not picky,” he said. “I like both of them.”

“Mm,” Magnus said, carefully beginning to remove his jewelry. “I think I’m in a Captain Kirk mood.”

“Classic it is,” Alec said.

Magnus didn’t bother to finish getting undressed once he’d removed his jewelry, accessories, and jacket. He was tired, and he really just wanted to collapse onto the couch (in Alec’s arms) and relax, stop moving, let himself enjoy a movie (and Alec’s company).

Alec pulled up the movie and they got settled on the couch—Alec sitting back on the couch, and Magnus sitting between his legs, leaning against his chest.

It was similar to other times they’d had movie marathons with their friends (or even alone together—they were best friends, after all) and yet _so different._

Because now it wasn’t just Magnus gradually leaning into Alec’s side and pretending like he didn’t relish his heat, trying not to get too close. It’s not Alec losing focus on the movie because all he can think about is how close his friend is and he doesn’t want to show how much it affects him.

Now… now it was Magnus completely slumped against Alec, body pressed fully against his, face pressed against his chest, feeling one of Alec’s arms slung around him. Now it was Alec holding Magnus with no attempt to hide the silly grin on his face or the love in his eyes as he looked down at his boyfriend.

Alec started the movie. Magnus relaxed against his chest.

Alec’s arm was a comforting weight on his back, his heart a soothing beat in Magnus’s ears. At some point during the movie—Magnus’s sleepiness was catching up with him, it was very early in the morning after all—Alec had shifted so that both arms were loosely wrapped around Magnus, lying back fully on the couch, Magnus enveloped in his embrace. Alec had thrown a blanket over them (he’d retrieved it at some point when he’d gotten up for a bathroom break) and it was so… _warm._

Magnus fell asleep like that, no longer able to focus on the movie, only hearing the vague hum of it in the background. He was lulled to sleep by Alec’s hand rubbing his back, fingers running gently through his hair, Alec’s deep and even breaths…

It took awhile for Alec to notice—despite very much enjoying Magnus’s warm weight in his lap, it didn’t concern him much when Magnus fell silent. He was caught up in the movie (although his mind did often wander to the events of the night, causing him to smile) and mindlessly rubbing his back and stroking through his hair, just _enjoying_ it. Because it was nice.

But eventually he _did_ notice. Kirk was quipping at a villain, his shirt was torn, and—Alec paused it, looking down at the sleeping man in his arms.

Magnus had gone completely still other than deep breathing. His eyes were closed, his whole body relaxed, a small smile on his lips.

He looked soft, calm.

…Cute. Really cute.

Alec glanced back up at the paused movie. Kirk was frozen mid word, eyes half closed.

He debated whether he should try and finish the movie, or give in and take Magnus to bed.

He wasn’t very tired—he was used to staying up all night, and he’d actually had a nap the day before, so he was fairly awake.

But would he really be able to focus on the movie with Magnus right there, nuzzled into his chest, fast asleep and rather adorable?

And what if he accidentally woke Magnus up?

But then, moving him might wake him up, too.

But _then…_ bringing him back to bed would not only help him sleep better, but would mark the first time they’d sleep together in the same bed. Alone, that is. With no restraint.

He looked back up at the screen, then down again at Magnus’s peaceful face. Magnus shifted slightly—Alec stiffened in alarm, but Magnus didn’t stir again, just turning his face into Alec’s shirt.

Alec smiled fondly down at him. He grabbed the remote (slowly, as not to wake his boyfriend—his _boyfriend_ ) and flicked the TV off. He yawned—guess he was sleepier than he thought—and began shifting so that he could begin to scoop Magnus up in his arms.

He was as quiet and careful as possible, trying his best not to disturb Magnus. He slowly stood and maneuvered Magnus up against his chest in a bridal carry, blanket still partially wrapped around him.

Magnus was a warm and solid weight in his arms—he wasn’t exactly light, but honestly, Alec didn’t mind—and carried him to the bedroom, having to go sideways so his legs wouldn’t hit the wall.

When he reached the bedroom, he lay Magnus gently down on the bed. His head lolled slightly, but his expression twitched in his sleep.

Alec sat back, looking at his sleeping boyfriend. Fuck. He still had some makeup on, as well as most of his clothing from that day.

Would it be… _weird_ to undress him? Inappropriate? Obviously, Alec would _never_ take advantage, and it certainly couldn’t be comfortable waking up with a faceful of makeup and clothing he’d probably been wearing for 24 hours (especially _tight_ party clothing) but… undressing him when he was unconscious did feel kind of wrong.

Before Alec could panic too much, Magnus stirred again. He was about to attempt to lull Magnus back to sleep, but it was too late. Magnus blinked blearily, brown eyes finding Alec’s face almost immediately. He smiled. “Mm… did I fall asleep?”

“Yeah,” Alec admitted. “Um, I wasn’t sure if I should…” he gestured to Magnus’s clothing.

Magnus sat up, stretching slightly like a cat. “It’s alright, darling,” he said. “I probably should get changed.”

He reached for the buttons on his shirt, undoing them.

“Um, should I—give you some privacy?” Alec asked. His face was burning—Magnus was shamelessly undoing his shirt, revealing the tantalizing skin and muscle beneath.

Magnus smiled slyly at him. “I don’t mind,” he said. “You’re welcome to look.”

Shameless. The man was shameless.

…Alec didn’t look away. Magnus seemed pleased.

(Magnus was, in fact, pleased. He was, admittedly, a little nervous at Alec seeing naked, but he would much rather get it over with. And besides, he’d seen Alec checking him out before, he _knew_ Alec found him attractive.

But that didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy Alec’s gaze practically worshipping his bare body.)

Magnus stripped down to his boxers before glancing back at over Alec. “Normally, I sleep naked,” he said. “Would you rather I…?”

Alec swallowed. “I don’t mind,” he said, a little breathless. “Either way.”

“…I should probably keep them on for now,” Magnus said. “As much as I’d like to be completely naked with you, I think if you saw that right now you might just take me here and now.”

“Might anyway,” Alec mumbled.

Magnus grinned. “And while I would _love_ that… I am quite tired, and I’d rather our first time be… a little more special? If that’s okay?”

He looked a little uncertain at the end, like he was actually _asking._

“Of course,” Alec said softly. He stepped forward, sliding an arm around Magnus’s waist and gently pulling him closer. Magnus went pliantly, lips meeting Alec’s halfway.

They kissed for a long moment.

“You should probably get dressed, too,” Magnus murmured.

Alec kissed him again, shorter this time. “You’re probably right,” he agreed.

He pulled away, still finding himself unable to wipe the smile from his face. Just being with Magnus—the newness of their relationship (or rather, the new _depth_ of it) felt almost intoxicating.

He stripped out of his clothing quickly and efficiently—he didn’t flaunt anything, but he certainly didn’t stop Magnus from looking. And so what if took a little longer than necessary to unbutton his shirt? It could be tallied up to being tired if anyone asked, and anyway, Magnus seemed to enjoy the show.

(For two people who had decided to leave the “ass-ruining” sex until later, they were indulging in quite a bit of foreplay.)

Magnus disappeared into the bathroom to grab a makeup wipe. He made quick work of his smudged makeup, not bothering to be too gentle with himself.

He looked even more beautiful like this—bare and sleepy, no makeup or flourishes. He looked beautiful with it, too, of course, but there was something very pretty about his naked face. Something intimate and gorgeous.

Magnus, meanwhile, was busy falling back on the bed. The second he collapsed into bed he relaxed, and Alec followed soon after. Magnus tugged the covers over them, curling on his side. He had instinctively curled towards the far wall like he usually did when he fell asleep, even though it was facing away from Alec.

He almost rolled over when he realized, but before he could, a strong arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him back. He was met with heat pressed all along his back, Alec’s broad chest lined up against his spine.

Involuntarily he made a little pleased noise, almost a sigh or a soft hum. Magnus curled back into him, enjoying how Alec held him close. _God,_ this was comfortable. He’d never felt this relaxed or comfortable in his whole goddamn life.

He felt Alec’s warm breath tickle the nape of his neck. He felt one of Alec’s hands slid up his stomach, palm warm and calloused on his skin. He felt Alec shift behind him a little, and he squirmed back slightly, and then—like two puzzle pieces clicking together, it seemed like their bodies molded together perfectly.

Magnus sighed happily. Alec seemed to finally settle, no longer shifting for the most comfortable position. His hand gently rubbed Magnus’s stomach, a small and repetitive movement.

Everything was still except for that soothing hand gently stroking on his belly. Quiet. Dark.

Magnus was already beginning to drift off again.

God, he felt so _safe._ Happy. He’d started this day gloomily thinking about how his unrequited crush, getting drunk with his friends to feel better… and he ended it (well, it was technically morning by now, but still) curled up in Alec’s arms.

Yep, living the dream.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> despite the main premise being "friends decide to fuck on new year's day because drunken texting, adventure and shenanigans ensue" i managed to?? completely avoid sex?? but i'm trying to add another chapter with alec giving magnus the romantic first time he deserves lol

**Author's Note:**

> based on [this](http://punishandenslavesuckers.tumblr.com/post/175419061536/taylors411-ruin-it-lmfao) tumblr post.


End file.
